Curtin University identifies heme B in 115 million-year-old Aratasaurus fossil
Researchers at Curtin University just found structures resembling red blood cells and bits of collagen in a dinosaur fossil that's 115 million years old.
They used high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy to identify heme B and its altered forms and detect chemical signatures associated with heme.
The fossil comes from Aratasaurus museunacionali, and this find could change how researchers investigate ancient biological material.
Low oxygen microbial burial preserved tissues
Turns out, the dinosaur was buried fast in a low-oxygen spot packed with microbes, which helped slow down decay.
Plus, minerals like hausmannite formed around the tissues and protected them for millions of years.
This discovery hints that fossils might hold way more biological secrets than anyone expected, opening up new ways to study ancient life.